Author and Perfecter

Marc Jeffrey

Paul the apostle, described Jesus as the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2, NASB). When I first read that, I got the impression that Jesus had ‘written’ the perfect draft in heaven, which he published as perfect faith into people when they believed. But, of course, life is not like that, and writing is rarely perfect on first draft.

Faith builds and strengthens as we make attempts and learn from our mistakes, talk to others and read how others dealt with situations. Sometimes we learn by putting a difficult situation aside for a while, then re-engage with new perspective. I use that one a lot, usually after I say that I have no intention of ever going back to it.

Most of my writing up until about ten years ago, was in the context of work or University studies. Like most students, I started a writing task an insufficient length of time before the deadline. My record for a term paper at Uni, was submitting with four seconds to spare. I don’t recommend that!

Photo by Anton Malanin on Unsplash

Much of my longer form creative writing has stayed in the form of first draft. It is only as I have sought to beat some of my stories into something a little more reader-friendly, that I’ve realised the benefit of a time gap between the first draft and final product. That, and good advice. The gap allows me the distance to recognise where the imperfections are in my stories, so I can address them. That distance allows me to see my draft more as a target reader would.

However, the gap is only useful to me if I use it wisely, otherwise I may end up with an over-edited, disassociated mess. Usually, I need a complete break from that work. I could take on the overgrown garden, reinvigorate my secret bird-watching hobby (oh-oh – the secret’s out), or learn more about word-craft. The choices extend these, of course! When the time comes, I am better equipped to recognise and address the deficiencies in my writing.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Let’s digress to music. I’ve been in a few bands. Of the hundreds of songs I started writing, only three or four were ever finished to the place where I could perform them without cringing. Songs need words that grow an idea or tell a story, but they also must fit seamlessly within the beat and timbre of the music, so it ‘gets you’. The listener no longer hears the components—the huskily breathed words, the synchronised strings, the gentle counterpoint of the piano keys—but is taken on an emotional journey as they respond to the whole song.

I am aiming to engage my readers with longer form writing as well. It is not just words, but how I craft them. It’s also understanding what my target readers expect. For me, that means researching what people expect to see in the thriller genre. Whether I write to a market, or for specific readers, I do not want to lose them looking around for the next literary bus when they are halfway through my story. 

For instance, I do not want to create an expectation that all stories in that genre have, then fail to deliver on it. I want my readers to travel with me through the bends of the story and see the signposts they expect and love the ride. And to do that well, I need space from my created work before I re-engage with a critical mind. A few beta readers will help me to see what I’ve missed.

Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash

So, the authoring has happened. The ‘perfecting’ may involve reforming the structure and story beats to meet the target readers’ expectation. The learning, I think, is to not shirk the gap between authoring and the version you unleash. Space between first and final drafts is good for your writing. Your thoughts?

                                                     

Marc Z Jeffrey works for the Australian public service, but loves to write

suspense and thrillers and the occasional whimsical dragon story. He loves

editing fiction and can an spot an errant apostrophe at a thousand paces.